Representative Charles Djou

Biography

Charles Djou served as a Representative from Hawaii in the United States Congress from 2010 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party, Charles Djou contributed to the legislative process during 1 term in office.

Charles Djou’s service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history. As a member of the House of Representatives, Charles Djou participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of constituents.

Charles Kong Djou (born August 9, 1970) is an American politician and attorney who served as secretary and chief executive of the American Battle Monuments Commission. A former member of the Republican Party, Djou briefly served as U.S. representative from Hawaii’s 1st congressional district from May 2010 to January 2011. As of 2025, he is the last Republican to represent Hawaii in Congress. Djou was elected to Congress in a May 2010 special election with 39.68% of the vote against two Democratic opponents. He was defeated in the November 2010 general election by Colleen Hanabusa. His election made him the first Thai American, as well as the first Republican of Chinese American descent, to serve in the House of Representatives. Prior to his election to Congress, he was a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives and the Honolulu City Council. Following his defeat in 2010, he unsuccessfully ran to represent the district again in the 2012 and 2014 elections. In 2016, he was a candidate for Mayor of Honolulu, ultimately losing to Kirk Caldwell by a 52% to 48% margin. In 2018, Djou left the Republican Party due to his opposition to then-President Donald Trump. Djou supported Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s candidacy in the 2020 presidential election. Following Biden’s victory, Djou was appointed Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission.